The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced an extension of the deadline for the conclusion of admission into the public universities in Nigeria, “due to some emergent and compelling circumstances.”
Earlier in July, at the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, chaired by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, a medical doctor, the deadline for admissions into public universities was fixed for Friday, 31 October, so that admissions into private universities and other tertiary institutions could be addressed.
JAMB, in a statement signed by its Public Communication Advisor (PCA), Fabian Benjamin, said the new deadline has been fixed for Monday, 17 November.
Reason for extension
The examination body said the decision to “extend the timeline is anchored on two key considerations.”
The considerations, JAMB said, are based on an appeal by the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) seeking an extension to the deadline due to certain developments, including a court order barring some universities from processing admissions until the order was vacated on 28 October.
JAMB also said based on the new programmes recently approved for some institutions by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the extension of the deadline was necessary so that students could be admitted for such programmes as part of the efforts of the government to open up access for admission seekers.
The press statement, which was released by JAMB on Sunday evening, is reproduced below:
EXTENSION OF 2025 PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES’ ADMISSIONS DEADLINE
You will recall that the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held on 18th July, 2025, under the chairmanship of the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, had fixed Friday, 31st October, 2025, as the deadline for all public universities to conclude their admission processes.
The Board commends the zeal, diligence, and commitment demonstrated by the various public universities toward meeting this approved timeline, which was intended to allow other tiers of tertiary institutions, the private universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and innovation enterprises institutions, to complete their respective admissions ahead of the overall closing date of 31st December, 2025.
However, owing to some emergent and compelling circumstances, the Board has found it necessary to extend the deadline for the completion of 2025 admissions into public universities from Friday, 31st October 2025, to Monday, 17th November 2025.
The decision to extend the timeline is anchored on two key considerations:
- AVCNU has specially appealed for extension due to the disruption caused by a number of factors, including a court order directing that the status quo should remain on the 2025/26 admission list, which was only clearly lifted by the same court on 28th October, 2025.
- In a bid to expand access in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the NUC on 29th October, 2025, released a list of 229 programmes recently accredited for 37 universities. Admission into those programmes are just being scheduled.
In light of these developments, and to ensure fairness and inclusiveness, the Board hereby extends the deadline for the completion of 2025 public university admissions to Monday, 17th November, 2025.
While expressing appreciation to all institutions for their tireless efforts and cooperation in meeting the initial target date, the Board wishes to emphasize that this new deadline is final and must be strictly adhered to.
The Board remains committed to ensuring a seamless, transparent, and credible admission process that aligns with national education goals and institutional autonomy.
Fabian Benjamin, Ph.D
JAMB, PCA
